User blog:Brigadier Barty/Mossflower Country & Beyond: Unleash the Beasts of War

O Peace, You Sly Shyster
Following a treaty signed by the leaders of Redwall Abbey, Salamandastron, Castle Floret, Noonvale, and the greatest of the vermin rulers, a long reign of prosperity has followed- Trade roads once thick with bandits were now bustling with merchant caravans bearing riches from one prosperous haven to the next; Redwall Abbey had thrown wide its gates to all creatures, vermin and woodlander regardless, and a true peace Mossflower had never known reigned for many a season.

Corsair raids seemed to stop entirely, as did bandit attacks, mercenary lootings, general thievery, and all seemed to profit... And yet there still remained an uneasy feeling between these beasts who had remained enemies for so long. But for the sake of rest and livelihood, they obeyed their commanders.

Eventually, many grew restless, in the land known for its blood and slaughter...

And then one day, they had their excuse.

Lead by a mighty crow whose name chilled the strongest hearts, carrion sowed dissent amongst the populace from their headquarters deep within the caverns of the Northern Mountains. As hateful of the landcrawlers as ever, they vowed to slaughter anybeast that dared take a step out into the open.

And then it was the Marshland Army, lead by a toad and his flesh-eating followers, who spread forth from their reeking marshes in Southsward, taking heavy advantage of the carrion attacks. They stole and slew, drank and feasted, amongst the ruins of any village that was in their way.

And then, as the woodlanders and their vermin allies attempted to band together and stop this sudden surge of chaos, far worse struck- The crow warlord slew the Abbess of Redwall, the very creature who struck the deal in the first place. Fingers were pointed, shaky peaces broken, and ally turned against ally, friend against friend.

Suddenly the treaty didn't matter anymore. The vermin took back up their rusty swords and slaver whips and returned to their roots once more, some secretly happy of the renewed violence, others helplessly sad. Salamandastron raised its lance, and Floret its longbow, while the ever-quiet Noonvale sunk back into obscurity. And Redwall Abbey closed its gates, once more.

Some attempted to hold this shaky peace together, but they were quickly exiled, slain or deposed, and their corpses were the first to be strewn across the empty trade roads and blood-stained grass that marked the end of the Twelve Season Concord.

It was the time of armies, once again.